Molly and I hold with ever more reverence and joy the breathtaking cooperation and imagination taking place amongst the children. Here were some highlights:
There were many scenarios with boys and girls playing together in new combinations. When you can play with a child of the opposite gender, you free yourself to play with every child in the class; you free yourself to play in a variety of play scenarios and moods. These gender-inclusive games bring scrumptious twists to preexisting scenarios. What a delight it was to watch the pirates busy baking birthday cakes in the sand today! And the miners digging kept on switching for what they sought depending on what the newest player sought, whether jewels or worms for fishing or a rock lost yesterday in a field far away.
Shortly before we came inside, almost every child was involved in a game of Freeze Tag. While this would not be remarkable in first grade, it was impressive how well our kindergarten children could freeze and move and could touch one another in an appropriate way--not too hard and not so soft no one could feel. Children seemed happy to be frozen. They seemed happy to be the chasers. They seemed happy to be the liberators. Every role seemed to provide an avenue toward bliss.
Inside I have been telling the story, "The Donkey," in which a prince grows up in the enchanted form of a Donkey, yet remains noble and true inside, and ultimately keeps his true, noble form all the time. It is weird and magical. A number children seem to hang on every word.
We've introduced yellow and blue for our spring paintings. As with a nice spring stream, there was a smooth flow from indoor imaginative play to the painting table and back to the imaginative play.
With Appreciation,
William
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